In the 18th Century, Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntington, invited the Duchess of Buckingham to come and hear George Whitfield preach.
The Duchess wrote to the Countess of Huntington about the Gospel that Whitefield and his fellow "Methodists" preached as follows:
"It is monstrous to be told that you have a heart as sinful as the common wretches that crawl on the earth. This is highly offensive and insulting; and I cannot but wonder that your Ladyship should relish any sentiments so much at variance with high rank and good breeding." (George Whitefield and the Great Awakening -- John Pollock p.95).
That letter sums up the Duchess’ attitude was about herself -- and indeed tells us a lot about her. Even one of her easygoing contemporaries found her obnoxious.
Indeed her pride closed her ears to the Gospel. For it is ONLY when we realize that we are "sinful as those common wretches" that we can be open to the Gospel.
(from a sermon by Martin Dale, "The Parable of the Lost Sheep" 7/5/08, SermonCentral.com)